We all have to be thankful for something on Thanksgiving, since that's really what it's supposed to be all about. I'm thankful for the Thanksgiving itself, since it's the only holiday where it's mandatory to eat until near bursting. There's no "save room for dessert" on Thanksgiving; instead, you forcibly make room for pumpkin pie and other goodies by stretching your stomach out even more. Hey, it's one day a year (not counting the upcoming Christmas dinner), so it's OK.

I was actually in training for the Thanksgiving meal for most of the day. Went for a bike ride in the morning to get some nominal exercise, and didn't eat much other than some fruit until we hit the in-laws' house and then it was time to chow down. Everything was good and tasty, as a Thanksgiving meal should be. Now, people often make the mistake of assuming that the all-American roasted turkey is the main dish of Thanksgiving. This, I hate to reveal, is in fact incorrect. The carbs are the stars. The turkey exists to provide a counterpoint to things like mashed potatoes and stuffing, and, more importantly, provide the basis for making gravy to anoint said foods. That's the truth.

I actually didn't have to cook much this year. Since I'm one of those cooking guys I generally get roped into the task at some point. Today I volunteered to tackle the mashed potatoes and gravy, as they're the two most important Thanksgiving foods (see above) and I couldn't stand the idea of either of them getting messed up, however unlikely the chance may have been. I also tried to get the kids to help me with making cranberry sauce, but they got bored and wandered off to play with the dogs, so I ended up doing that, too.

Fortunately, fresh cranberry sauce is one of the easiest things you can possibly make. I know a lot of people have a strong and misguided fondness for the wiggly red stuff that comes in a can. I did, too. In fact as a small child it was among my favorite things ever. But after I made my own out of fresh cranberries, it was all over. The real deal is the only way to go.

How to do it? It's simple! First, take one of those one-pound bags of cranberries from the supermarket. Dump the cranberries into a medium saucepan. Add a cup of water, or better yet, orange juice. The orange flavor goes fantastically well with the cranberries. In fact, you can also zest an orange and add that to the pot, and then squeeze in the juice from the orange (add water to make 1 cup of liquid, total). Or just use store-bought OJ. Either way, it's good and you'll amaze your dinner guests. Add one cup of sugar to the pot. ("Isn't that a lot of sugar?" I was asked once. Yes, it is. But it's just enough. Trust me.) Heat until boiling, then turn down the burner to medium and simmer until the cranberries start to pop. Cook about five minutes more and then pour into a bowl to let cool. It will thicken a lot as it cools. That's it.

Come to think of it, you better buy two bags of cranberries at the store and double the recipe. You'll need some to put on your turkey sandwiches over the weekend.